World Series 2018 Scores and Final Series Result
The 2018 World Series ended with the Boston Red Sox defeating the Los Angeles Dodgers 4 games to 1. The final series score was 4-1 in favor of Boston, giving the Red Sox their fourth championship since 2000. The series was played from October 23 to October 28, 2018, with Boston winning the clinching game at Fenway Park. The Dodgers scored 18 runs across the series while Boston totaled 22 runs, reflecting a tight but decisive championship outcome. You can review the official series summary on MLB.com here.
Boston's pitching staff limited Los Angeles to a .213 team batting average across the five games, the lowest in a World Series since 2000. Red Sox starter David Price earned the win in Game 5, while closer Craig Kimbrel recorded the final out to secure the title. The Dodgers' offense, led by Cody Bellinger and Manny Machado, could not overcome Boston's balanced attack. The series MVP award went to Boston's David Ortiz, whose leadership and timely hitting were highlighted by the team throughout the postseason.
Game-by-Game World Series 2018 Scores
Game 1 and Game 2 Results
In Game 1, the Red Sox defeated the Dodgers 8-4 at Dodger Stadium, with Boston scoring 8 runs and 13 hits behind strong hitting from Mookie Betts. Game 2 saw the Dodgers even the series with a 4-2 win, as Los Angeles pitcher Walker Buehler held Boston to 2 runs over 6 innings. The series moved to Boston with the Dodgers leading 1-1, setting up a pivotal home stretch at Fenway Park.
Game 3, Game 4, and Game 5 Results
Boston took control of the series in Game 3 with a 3-1 victory, as Chris Sale pitched 7 scoreless innings and the Red Sox bullpen preserved the lead. Game 4 delivered a dramatic 9-6 Boston win, with the Red Sox erasing a 5-1 deficit by scoring 5 unanswered runs in the 7th inning and beyond. In Game 5, Boston closed out the series with an 18-4 rout, marking the Dodgers' worst World Series loss and Boston's largest championship-game win in franchise history.
Key Statistics and Postseason Context
Boston finished the 2018 regular season with a 108-54 record, the best in MLB that year, before adding the World Series title. The Red Sox outscored their postseason opponents in the ALDS and ALCS before facing the Dodgers, whose 106 regular-season wins earned them the NL West crown. The series drew an average of 12.5 million viewers per game in the United States, according to Nielsen data reported by ESPN here.
The 2018 World Series marked the first time since 2000 that a team with 100 or more regular-season wins won the championship. Boston's front office, led by general manager Theo Epstein, built a roster that combined elite starting pitching with a deep bench, a strategy that also delivered the 2013 title. The Dodgers, despite the loss, advanced to the 2019 NLCS and continued to invest in analytics and player development, as detailed in a Forbes breakdown of their roster strategy